Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information and system security, specifically to authentication user interfaces, systems, and methods of authentication.
Description of the Related Art
The introduction of the digital computer revolutionized methods of computing, data processing and controlling other devices and systems. Combined with the introduction of the Internet, digital data processing, communication and storage has become an essential part of society. With the growing popularity of computers, many different types of computing systems have attained widespread use around the world. Computing systems include personal computers, servers, mainframes and a wide variety of independent ‘smart devices’ with capabilities to easily communicate, process, distribute, collect and store information. Personal computers (PC), mainframes, smartphones, tablets, and minicomputer networks allow user(s) access to numerous application programs, databases, network systems, operating systems and mainframe applications. To protect and access protected personal data, file(s), account(s) and hardware property from unauthorized entities, a secure password logon method is generally provided. Password protection is a method comprise of secret combinations of characters (generally alphanumeric) that provide a consumer or business the capability to control access from unauthorized entities and protect assets from illegal or malicious intent. As computing systems evolve combined with the growth of communication networks and the continue practice of mass digital data storage, a growing concern over privacy and access control to personal information and property is created. Additionally, with the wide acceptance and reliance of Internet technologies, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain and manage numerous password(s) protection policies for Internet accounts and each application associated with databases, network systems, operating systems and mainframe(s).
In the related art, it has been known to use various techniques and systems for providing enhanced security for password logon systems. Examples include: encrypting/scrambling transmission of password characters within the system (e.g. before transmitting from keyboard to motherboard); using encryption (e.g. SSL) to transmit password logon information over a network; password change policies (e.g. requiring users to change passwords every x months/weeks); password creation policies (e.g. requiring that all passwords be at least X characters long, include at least certain types of characters, and not include certain words/strings); and displaying password characters as asterisks or other generic characters during password entry instead of displaying the actual characters.
Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples of references related to the present invention are presented hereafter, and the supporting teachings of each reference are incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. No. 7,093,282 to Hillhouse; US Patent Publication No. 20070030963 by Wyld; and US Patent Publication No. 20060020815 by Varghese.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include being inconvenient, not being customized/customizable, being difficult to use, not able to be modified to fit changing requirements, failing to adapt to varying situations, being easily hacked through keylogging, requiring lengthy and complicated passwords, and not being easy to set up and/or change.
What is needed is a password logon interface, system and/or method that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.